United Nations officials next week will present a heritage conservation award to Bund 18 in Shanghai, UNESCO announced.
The Award of Distinction of the 2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards rewards excellent conservation examples of historic buildings.
Bund 18 -- a neo-classical building built in 1923 as the headquarters of Chartered Bank's operations in Australia, India and China -- will be the city's first structure to get the honor. It will receive the award on December 7.
Local architectural experts predict the international recognition and spotlight will stimulate conservation and renovation of other historic buildings.
"Shanghai has many old houses such as in the Tilanqiao area and the government should speed up its efforts to let them sparkle," said Zhang Yanhua, an expert on historical building conservation of Tongji University.
After two years of restoration and renovation, Bund 18, situated at 18 Zhongshan Road E1, reopened for business in November 2004.
Hong Kong's Heng Yee Co is the parent company of Shanghai Hengyi which manages Bund 18.
The building is home to brand-name fashion stores and high-end Chinese and French restaurants.
The UNESCO Website said the "Bund 18 has been adapted into a high-end commercial building to the highest level of technical standards." It also states "new partitions and fittings essential for the commercial functioning of the building were designed in a tasteful modern vocabulary, which juxtapose well with the historic interior."
In addition to Bund 18, the Uch Monument Complex of Pakistan was honored with the Award of Distinction.
(Shanghai Daily November 28, 2006)
